Macoun Apple Tree | Bare Root, Zone 3b

Macoun Apple (Spring 2027)

$59.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Needs a partner

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

See trees that will pollenize it Apple Pollination Map

Ripening

Will it finish before your first hard freeze?

Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)

Disease resistanceResists 1 of 4

Apple scab : Highly susceptible, 1 of 5
Cedar-apple rust : Resistant, 4 of 5
Fire blight : Susceptible, 2 of 5
Powdery mildew : Moderate, 3 of 5

Scored 1 to 5. Higher resists better, and ? means no published data yet.

See it on our apple disease chart (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Macoun Apple is an apple tree rated hardy to zone 3b in our ratings (winters to -35°F), not self-fertile, so it needs a different variety nearby as a pollenizer (bloom group 4 of 7, mid for an apple or crabapple), and it ripens about Sep 14 to Sep 27 in Missoula (picked and dated at our place in Missoula).

Hardy to	Zone 3b to 8. The b means the warmer half of zone 3 only (winters to -35°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Chill hours	About 800 hours (750 to 1,100). Well documented. Independent sources agree. Montana winters give it plenty. In milder climates, make sure your winters average at least this much. Check your chill hours or see our sources.
Pollination	Needs Cross-Pollination. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), late spring here. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 3 to 5. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Good partners we carry: Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple, Burgundy Apple and 103 more. Apple Pollination Map.
Ripens	About Sep 14 to Sep 27 in Missoula (picked and dated off our own trees). Real years swing about a week either way. See the date for your town.
Rootstock and size	Bud 118: semi-dwarf in our dry Montana soils, semi-standard on paper, about 12 to 18 ft tall unpruned. Stands on its own, few suckers. Our rootstock guide.
Good for	Fresh eating (9/10), salads and slicing (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), pies and baking (6/10), canning and freezing (6/10), jams and jellies (6/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.
Deer	A deer favorite. Fence it or cage it.
Where it came from	Read about the Cornell and Geneva breeding programs and what else came out of it.
What you get	Bare root, 4-6 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Overview

If you're a McIntosh fan, you’ll love Macoun. A late-season heir to the McIntosh legacy, Macoun is an excellent fresh-eating apple that typically ripens around the same time as McIntosh (end of September in Missoula). It’s also a great option for pies since it doesn't break down in the oven.

Macoun is one of the best McIntosh derivatives with a better crunch than McIntosh. It's also juicier and the flavor lingers longer. It’s one of Luke and Rod McIver’s favorite apples.

Hardiness and Growing Regions

One downside of Macoun is that it isn’t very hardy for most of Montana. It will thrive in areas like Kalispell, Libby, Missoula, Hamilton, Plains, and other parts of Western Montana where temperatures don’t typically dip below -35°F. Like McIntosh, this is the lower limit of cold hardiness for Macoun.

It may work in Billings or warmer microclimates that experience slightly colder temperatures, but Macoun is not suitable for areas consistently below -35°F.

Tree Size and Rootstock

The Macoun trees available are 4-6 feet tall bare-root trees, grafted onto Bud 118 rootstock.

Questions we get about Macoun Apple

Does Macoun Apple need a pollenizer?

Yes. Macoun Apple needs pollen from a different variety that blooms at about the same time. Plant a different apple or crabapple variety that blooms in groups 3 to 5. It has good pollen, so it can also pollenize other apples blooming at the same time. Partners we carry include Otterson Crabapple, Trail Crabapple, Alexander Apple.

How cold hardy is Macoun Apple?

We rate Macoun Apple hardy to zone 3b, which means winters down to about -35°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.

How many chill hours does Macoun Apple need?

About 800 hours of winter chill (we count hours at or below 45°F), likely somewhere between 750 and 1,100. That figure is well documented: independent sources agree. That's about the same as its McIntosh parent. Montana winters cover that easily. Our chill hours guide has a calculator for your winters, and our research page lists the sources.

When does Macoun Apple ripen?

About Sep 14 to Sep 27 in Missoula, Montana (picked and dated off our own trees). Warmer places run earlier and cooler places later; our ripening map converts the date to your town.

How big does Macoun Apple get?

We graft Macoun Apple onto Bud 118 (semi-dwarf in our dry Montana soils, semi-standard on paper), which makes a tree roughly 12 to 18 ft tall if you never prune it.

What is Macoun Apple good for?

Our top use scores for Macoun Apple are fresh eating (9/10), salads and slicing (7/10), sauce and butter (7/10), pies and baking (6/10). Anything scored 8 or higher makes our Best Of lists.

Is Macoun Apple disease resistant?

For some diseases, yes. It's resistant to cedar-apple rust. It holds up moderately well against powdery mildew. It's very prone to apple scab, and prone to fire blight. Our apple disease resistance chart has every rating, the notes and the sources.

Will deer eat Macoun Apple?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Macoun Apple with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

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By Zone

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Bred By

Cornell & Geneva Fruit Varieties

Best For

Best Apples for Fresh Eating Salads & Slicing

Pollination, Bloom & Ripening

Mid-Season Apple Trees

Disease Resistance

Cedar-Apple Rust Resistant Apple Trees

Browse

Mid-Blooming Apple Trees

Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Macoun Apple

Macoun Apple needs a different apple or crabapple nearby to set fruit. Every tree below blooms at the same time and has pollen that works for it. Plant partners within about 100 feet.

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

Pollination Needs a partner

Pollen Good pollenizer

107 trees we carry will pollenize it. Showing the best matches, in-stock first.